Description

Federal agencies face a complicated set of decisions in finding the right mix of gov¿t. and contractor personnel to conduct their missions. But, agencies face challenges with increased reliance on contractors to perform core agency missions. A March 2009 Presidential memo tasked the Office of Mgmt. and Budget (OMB) to take several actions in response to this concern. This statement discusses: (1) civilian agencies' development and implementation of guidelines to consider whether contracted functions should be brought in-house -- a process known as insourcing; (2) OMB's proposed policy on work reserved for fed. employees; (3) challenges agencies face in managing the federal workforce; and (4) key tools available for insourcing. Illustrations.

Similar

Fed. agencies rely on a multisector workforce composed of fed. employees and contractor personnel to perform services as they carry out their missions. Determining whether to obtain services through insourcing with current or new fed. employees, outsourcing with private sector contractors, or co-sourcing with a combination of the two is an economic and strategic decision. The exec. branch has encouraged fed. agencies since the mid-1950s to obtain commercially available services from the private sector when outsourcing is cost-effective. This report identified: (1) actions taken to assist affected agencies as they develop insourcing guidelines; and (2) the status of selected civilian agencies' efforts to develop and implement insourcing guidelines.

When the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) was created, it was granted ¿other transaction¿ authority -- a special authority used to meet mission needs. While the authority provides greater flexibility to attract and work with nontraditional contractors to research, develop, and test innovative technologies, other transactions carry the risk of reduced accountability and transparency -- in part because they are exempt from certain fed. acquisition regulations and cost accounting standards. This report determines the extent to which nontraditional contractors have been involved in DHS¿s other transactions, and assesses DHS¿s mgmt. of the acquisition process when using this authority to identify additional safeguards. Includes recommendations. Illus.

Between September 1993 & September 1997, the number of civilian employees across government decreased by about 8,900. To understand the initial effects of this reduction, this report reviews 4 major federal departments to (1) describe the activities they have undertaken in restructuring personnel offices & operations; (2) ascertain what, if any, performance measures are in place to gauge results of the restructuring efforts; & (3) identify issues that agencies may commonly encounter when in restructuring their personnel operations, they consider outsourcing automated personnel &/or payroll services to another agency or the private sector.

The Recovery Act (RA) of 2009 provides funds to fed. agencies and states, which in turn may award contracts to private co. to carry out the purposes of the RA. Contracts using RA funds are required to be awarded competitively to the maximum extent practicable. This report examined the use and oversight of non-competitive contracts at the fed. and state levels. It determined: (1) the extent that federal contracts were awarded non-competitively; (2) the reasons five selected federal agencies DoD, DoE, HHS; NASA; and SBA awarded non-competitive contracts; (3) the oversight these agencies and their inspectors general provide for RA contracts; and (4) the level of insight five selected states have into the use of non-competitive RA contracts. Illus.

State and local governments have increased their use of privatization over the last several years, and Congress and the administration have indicated an interest in having the federal government also increase its use of privatization. This report identifies major lessons learned by, and the related experiences of, state and city governments in implementing privatization efforts. It discusses privatization lessons learned by, and the related experiences of, the states of Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Virginia as well as the city of Indianapolis, IN. Charts and tables.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Many federal contractors establish offshore subsidiaries to take advantage of labor and market conditions. They also use offshore subsidiaries to reduce their U.S. tax burdens. In 2008, Congress passed the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act which resulted in contractor offshore subsidiaries paying certain payroll taxes for U.S. personnel working abroad. This report is on the rationales, implications, and costs and benefits of defense contractors' use of offshore subsidiaries. The report: (1) assessed trends and purposes for contractors' offshore subsidiaries; (2) identified how contractors use subsidiaries to support defense contracts; (3) assessed DoD's oversight of contractors' use of offshore subsidiaries. Charts and tables.

The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (BioShield Act) increased the fed. gov¿ts. ability to procure needed countermeasures to address threats from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Under the BioShield Act, HHS was provided with new contracting authorities (increased simplified acquisition and micropurchase thresholds, and expanded abilities to use procedures other than open competition and personal services contracts) and was authorized to use $5.6 billion in a Special Reserve Fund to procure countermeasures. This report reviewed: (1) how HHS has used its purchasing and contracting authorities; and (2) the extent to which HHS has internal controls in place to manage and ensure the appropriate use of its new authorities.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. In performing agency tasks, contractor employees often require access to sensitive information (SI) that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure or misuse. This report assesses the: (1) extent to which agency guidance and contracts contain safeguards for contractor access to SI; and (2) adequacy of governmentwide guidance on how agencies are to safeguard SI to which contractors may have access. To conduct this work, the auditor met with officials at 3 agencies selected for their extensive reliance on contractor employees, analyzed 42 of their contract actions for services potentially requiring contractor access to SI, and analyzed the Fed. Acquisition Reg¿n. re: governmentwide guidance on contractor safeguards for access to SI. Illustrations.

The Pres. has announced his intention to improve the acquisition process, particularly given the half a trillion dollars the fed. gov¿t. spent in FY 2009 on acquiring goods and services. The DoD spent $384 billion in FY 2009 on goods and services -- double what it spent in 2001. A high-quality workforce with the right competencies and skill sets will be critical to improving DoD acquisitions. This report determined the efficacy of DoD¿s certification training for its acquisition workforce. It assessed: (1) DoD¿s capability to provide certification training; (2) the extent that such training reaches members of the workforce; and (3) the extent that previous training recommendations have been implemented. Charts and tables. A print on demand publication.

The Pres. has announced his intention to improve the acquisition process, particularly given the half a trillion dollars the fed. gov¿t. spent in FY 2009 on acquiring goods and services. The DoD spent $384 billion in FY 2009 on goods and services -- double what it spent in 2001. A high-quality workforce with the right competencies and skill sets will be critical to improving DoD acquisitions. This report determined the efficacy of DoD¿s certification training for its acquisition workforce. It assessed: (1) DoD¿s capability to provide certification training; (2) the extent that such training reaches members of the workforce; and (3) the extent that previous training recommendations have been implemented. Charts and tables. A print on demand publication.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. In performing agency tasks, contractor employees often require access to sensitive information (SI) that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure or misuse. This report assesses the: (1) extent to which agency guidance and contracts contain safeguards for contractor access to SI; and (2) adequacy of governmentwide guidance on how agencies are to safeguard SI to which contractors may have access. To conduct this work, the auditor met with officials at 3 agencies selected for their extensive reliance on contractor employees, analyzed 42 of their contract actions for services potentially requiring contractor access to SI, and analyzed the Fed. Acquisition Reg¿n. re: governmentwide guidance on contractor safeguards for access to SI. Illustrations.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Many federal contractors establish offshore subsidiaries to take advantage of labor and market conditions. They also use offshore subsidiaries to reduce their U.S. tax burdens. In 2008, Congress passed the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act which resulted in contractor offshore subsidiaries paying certain payroll taxes for U.S. personnel working abroad. This report is on the rationales, implications, and costs and benefits of defense contractors' use of offshore subsidiaries. The report: (1) assessed trends and purposes for contractors' offshore subsidiaries; (2) identified how contractors use subsidiaries to support defense contracts; (3) assessed DoD's oversight of contractors' use of offshore subsidiaries. Charts and tables.

Fed. agencies rely on a multisector workforce composed of fed. employees and contractor personnel to perform services as they carry out their missions. Determining whether to obtain services through insourcing with current or new fed. employees, outsourcing with private sector contractors, or co-sourcing with a combination of the two is an economic and strategic decision. The exec. branch has encouraged fed. agencies since the mid-1950s to obtain commercially available services from the private sector when outsourcing is cost-effective. This report identified: (1) actions taken to assist affected agencies as they develop insourcing guidelines; and (2) the status of selected civilian agencies' efforts to develop and implement insourcing guidelines.

The Recovery Act (RA) of 2009 provides funds to fed. agencies and states, which in turn may award contracts to private co. to carry out the purposes of the RA. Contracts using RA funds are required to be awarded competitively to the maximum extent practicable. This report examined the use and oversight of non-competitive contracts at the fed. and state levels. It determined: (1) the extent that federal contracts were awarded non-competitively; (2) the reasons five selected federal agencies DoD, DoE, HHS; NASA; and SBA awarded non-competitive contracts; (3) the oversight these agencies and their inspectors general provide for RA contracts; and (4) the level of insight five selected states have into the use of non-competitive RA contracts. Illus.

The Project BioShield Act of 2004 (BioShield Act) increased the fed. gov¿ts. ability to procure needed countermeasures to address threats from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. Under the BioShield Act, HHS was provided with new contracting authorities (increased simplified acquisition and micropurchase thresholds, and expanded abilities to use procedures other than open competition and personal services contracts) and was authorized to use $5.6 billion in a Special Reserve Fund to procure countermeasures. This report reviewed: (1) how HHS has used its purchasing and contracting authorities; and (2) the extent to which HHS has internal controls in place to manage and ensure the appropriate use of its new authorities.

When the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) was created, it was granted ¿other transaction¿ authority -- a special authority used to meet mission needs. While the authority provides greater flexibility to attract and work with nontraditional contractors to research, develop, and test innovative technologies, other transactions carry the risk of reduced accountability and transparency -- in part because they are exempt from certain fed. acquisition regulations and cost accounting standards. This report determines the extent to which nontraditional contractors have been involved in DHS¿s other transactions, and assesses DHS¿s mgmt. of the acquisition process when using this authority to identify additional safeguards. Includes recommendations. Illus.

State and local governments have increased their use of privatization over the last several years, and Congress and the administration have indicated an interest in having the federal government also increase its use of privatization. This report identifies major lessons learned by, and the related experiences of, state and city governments in implementing privatization efforts. It discusses privatization lessons learned by, and the related experiences of, the states of Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, and Virginia as well as the city of Indianapolis, IN. Charts and tables.

Between September 1993 & September 1997, the number of civilian employees across government decreased by about 8,900. To understand the initial effects of this reduction, this report reviews 4 major federal departments to (1) describe the activities they have undertaken in restructuring personnel offices & operations; (2) ascertain what, if any, performance measures are in place to gauge results of the restructuring efforts; & (3) identify issues that agencies may commonly encounter when in restructuring their personnel operations, they consider outsourcing automated personnel &/or payroll services to another agency or the private sector.

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